Street Tacos w/ Salsa Verde + Spicy Salsa Roja

Hello there! I’m Sarah, and this is the inaugural post of Well and Full – a blog celebrating whole foods + plant-based recipes and boundless living. I’m so excited to finally be up and running!

Inspired by my own journey to health and wellness, Well and Full is about living your best possible life – eating right, getting outside, going on adventures, living consciously, and never taking any thing or any moment for granted. Good health is a gift – it is the foundation for everything else in our lives. It is this concept that forms the foundation for this space.

I’m kind of horrible at writing about myself, so I thought I’d give you 5 fun facts by way of introduction:

1// I grew up in a small town in CT, within walking distance of four farms (produce, dairy, Christmas tree, and Heritage), the latter of which General Rochambeau camped at during the Revolutionary War.

2// I spent the majority of my childhood outside, either in my backyard or in the forest behind my house. I get my love of the outdoors from my dad, and we’ve both gotten lyme disease from being in the woods! (If go hiking, check yourselves for ticks, people!!)

3// I have a rescue dog named Ivy, and she’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. My partner in crime, she is always inadvertently taste-testing my recipes and putting a smile on my face every day.

4// I am currently in the process of getting my 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training. My favorite poses are pigeon, sirsasana (headstand), and tree. (I can stand on one foot for a realllly long time.)

5// I love spicy foods. Buffalo, sriracha, habañero, cayenne, you name it. (Not ideal for someone who has stomach issues, I know.) I have no idea where it comes from – neither of my parents like spicy foods, and my heritage is English-Scottish-Swedish-German-Italian. It’s just one of those imponderables, I guess.

While we’re on the topic of spicy foods, let’s talk about Mexican street food/Cinco de Mayo/Spicy Adobo Chipotle Salsa Roja. First of all, there’s nothing like some beautiful spring (if you can call 83 degrees spring) weather to get me in the mood for Mexican food – something about how spicy foods help cool the body temperature. And since today is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it was only fitting that Well and Full’s first post was dedicated to one of Mexico’s most beloved street foods – tacos.

Half the fun of creating and developing recipes, in my opinion, is researching their origins and cultural significance. (I kind of have this thing where I have to know how everything works, so looking into foods’ origins was always sort of a natural extension to my culinary endeavors.) I was first introduced to the concept of “street food” when a friend of mine took me to Valencia Luncheria, a little Venezuelan eatery in Norwalk, CT, that was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. And oh. my. gosh. If you are ever in that neck of the woods, go to Valencia Luncheria. House-made empanadas, authentic arepas,batidos and jugos made from fresh fruit… if I had to eat at once establishment for the rest of my life, Valencia Luncheria would be it.

But I digress… once I got my first taste of street food, I immediately started researching its significance in Latin American culture. It turns out that the epicenter of this culinary movement is in Mexico City, where street vendors abound. Known as antojitos, or “little cravings”, street food in Mexico often consists of handheld snacks and little appetizers, like tacos, tamales, and tostadas.

I know this recipe is a little *~lengthy~*, but hear me out – there are two types of salsas in case you, or a person who will be consuming these delicious handheld tacos, prefers tanginess to spiciness. Either salsa is delicious in these tacos, but I think the combination of both are the best!

Street Tacos w/ Salsa Verde + Spicy Salsa Roja

These easy, vegan street tacos are paired with two types of salsa - tangy salsa verde and spicy salsa roja. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, or summer dining al fresco!

Prep Time20minutes

Cook Time40minutes

Total Time1hour

Calories214kcal

Ingredients

Street Tacos

6-inchSoft Corn Tortillas

1-2lbsBaby Potatoescut into quarters

Olive Oil for Cooking

Salt and Pepper

Fajita Veggies

1Red Bell Pepper

1/2Medium White Onion

1Green Bell Pepper

Salsa Verde

About 10 TomatillosRoasted

1/2JalapeñoRaw, Chopped

1/4Medium White OnionRoasted

2ClovesGarlicRoasted

1/8CupCilantroPacked

1/2TspSalt

Juice from 1 Lime

Salsa Roja

1 7-ozcan Adobo ChilesI use Goya brand

4Roma TomatosRoasted

1/2Medium White OnionRoasted

1TspSalt

3Clovesof GarlicRoasted

Juice from 1 Lime

Extras

1-2AvocadosDiced

Cilantro for Garnishing

Cholula Hot Sauce

Instructions

Salsa Verde and Spicy Salsa Roja

Begin by roasting your veggies for the salsas - preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. I roasted the veggies for both salsas on the same tray. For the salsa verde veggies, cut the tomatillos in half, and roast the 1/4 onion and garlic cloves as is (not chopped). For the salsa roja veggies, cut the roma tomatoes in half and keep the 1/2 onion and garlic cloves whole. Roast the veggies for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on them at the end so they don't burn.

Potatoes

While the veggies are roasting, prep the baby potatoes - wash thoroughly and dry, then chop into bite sized pieces (I quartered mine). Lay on a baking sheet and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (about 1-2 tbs), and sprinkle with a pinch of pepper and salt.

When the roasted veggies are done, stick the potatoes in the oven at the same temperature. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway. When the potatoes are done they should be a nice, crispy golden brown.

Fajita Veggies

Heat about 1/2 tbs olive oil in a skillet or sauté pan to medium-high heat. While pan is heating, julienne bell peppers and onion into thin slices. Once pan is hot, sauté veggie slices lightly for about 2-3 minutes.

Putting it all together:

These tacos are best served fajita style, so everyone can build theirs how they like. I built mine with a few fajita veggies in the corn tortilla first, then the potatoes, then a few pieces of diced avocado. I drizzled both salsa on top, with some extra cholula on top. A few leaves of fresh cilantro create a perfect garnish.

Recipe Notes

The spicy salsa roja packs a serious punch of heat. If spicy isn't really your thing, add only half the can of adobo chiles!

WellAndFull

May 19, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Ahh Katie!! Thank you so much for your comment, it made my day :) :) I absolutely love your blog and it is one of the biggest inspirations for mine! Make sure you let me know when your cookbook is ready for pre-order!!

WellAndFull

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